title: Facial rejuvenation with staged injections of cryopreserved fat and tissue cocktail: clinical outcomes in the past 10 years.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Facial rejuvenation by autologous fat transfer is common in aesthetic plastic surgery. The main drawback is progressive resorption, requiring repeated harvesting and microfat grafting.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The authors present a method for cryopreservation of excess harvested fat and tissue to enable subsequent use of previously harvested excess material.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fat grafts were harvested using a 50-mL syringe and a 3- or 4-mm cannula. A tissue "cocktail" composed of dermis, fascia, and fat was prepared from excised scar tissue, tissue from abdominoplasty, or tissue from reduction mammaplasty. Cocktail specimens were placed in sterile tubes, immersed in a liquid nitrogen tank (-196°C), and stored at -80°C. At 3- to 6-month intervals, repeated cryopreserved fat graft injections were performed. Patients were evaluated by comparing preoperative and postoperative photographs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 2000 and 2010, a total of 5199 cryopreserved fat or tissue injections were performed in 2439 consecutive patients (age range, 19-80 years). Nasolabial folds and lips were the most common injection sites. Clinical outcomes were satisfactory, and improved contour was achieved in most patients after repeated injections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cryopreservation of excess tissue for future injection is promising since repetitive injections are often required after resorption of microfat grafts. In our study, the survival of cryopreserved tissue cocktail or fat was comparable to that of fresh fat grafts and is therefore an effective adjuvant method for facial rejuvenation.
authors.affiliation: ONEP Plastic Surgery Science Institute, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Onur Okten
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Erol
authors.forename: Galip
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Agaoglu
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000637:transplantation*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007271:Injections, Intradermal; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012060:Rejuvenation / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015595:Skin Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000379:methods*; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003879:Dermatologic Agents
keywords: autologous tissue transfer; cryopreservation; fat injection; fat transfer; intradermal injection; microfat graft; tissue cocktail